


the pale moon's beast tamer

by Bitway



Series: AUgust 2020 Writing Challenge [25]
Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Alternate Universe - Circus, F/M, Love at First Sight, more of a flashback
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26116294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitway/pseuds/Bitway
Summary: Her heart yearns to put on a show for the audience. But what she really desires is impressing him.AUgust Day 25 - Circus AU
Relationships: Narumi Asaka/Suzugamori Ren
Series: AUgust 2020 Writing Challenge [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860877
Kudos: 4
Collections: AUgust 2020





	the pale moon's beast tamer

The seats that filled the Big Top had been cleared out. There wasn't a single soul in sight. With the moon above, darkness enveloped the tent. A single light was cast, illuminated the stage. And that is where the beast tamer stood.

Asaka remained motionless in the center. She set her gaze out to nothing in particular. She imagined the stands filled with people, not a single seat left empty. Their cheers came along with the image she could see and it felt, just for a moment, that the circus was brought back to life. Along with the audience, she could see images of her coworkers as they put on a performance for them. It was a spectacular melody, to hear everything at once. It made her heart yearn for their next show, wanting to relieve the feeling of being on center stage.

The time would come soon enough. Tomorrow they would return to a city they'd been to before. She had been looking forward to it, ever since she met that strange man…

~…~

Asaka let out a sigh as she made her way back to her private tent. The crowd felt tougher to please compared to usual. Maybe she was overthinking it, but she swore that their faces were lacking in the usual awe and excitement, especially for her performance.

Had her act become stale? Had she failed to live up to her name? No. No. It couldn't be true. The hype of showing off a beast tamer who could tame a beast unlike any other- a chimera- was still high. There were whispers of it around the circus and even in the city whenever their posters were put up. There was no way anyone could lose interest in her and her beast anytime soon.

Then why was the Big Top so…empty? So lifeless? It was too much to worry about. The ringmaster reassured her that everything was fine. Her act was phenomenal, but his words felt just as empty as the audience's gaze. Maybe it was time to think of a new act. But what could be more amazing than seeing someone ride a flying lion, gracefully fall from it, and then be captured in its fangs without a single scratch?

"Silver Thorn," she calls out for her beast as she pushes back the curtain of her tent. "It's time for din-"

She stops in her tracks when she hears a voice. It was human, a guy's voice by the sound of the laughter. And it was coming from her tent. The only problem was she couldn't see anyone thanks to her beast blocking her view. His backside was facing her, which meant that his head was facing whoever the stranger was.

A surge of panic strikes through her. Her beast knew not to attack anyone, but there was a chance he would. And the last thing the circus needed was a death on their hands. Especially one that came from her lovely creature. She couldn't bear the thought of how some idiots would dare to tear them apart.

"Silver Thorn!" She shouts. The beast turns his head towards Asaka. It lets out a little whine before stepping her way and to her side.

"Aww, you don't have to shout at him," comes from a well-dressed man with fluffy red hair. He hardly looked like the usual customers who found their way into the circus, but it tended to bring in a variety of people. He wore a warm smile and seemed so relaxed, as if he was unaware of the danger he put himself in. "I was just giving him the attention he wanted."

It takes a moment for her to respond. She wanted to yell and shout at this man. How could he waltz on in here and act like her chimera was just like a house pet? But she couldn't find it in her to raise her voice.

This stranger had captivated Asaka. His looks, his voice, the way he held himself. He was so alluring, beautiful, even if he was a little strange.

"You shouldn't be here." It's a warning instead of an angry threat. "It's dangerous to be around Silver Thorn without me."

"But you're here now, so I have nothing to worry about." He stares at her and she begins to feel oddly self conscious. She had yet to change out of her uniform, which was a little flashy. Not that she usually minded, but in front of him, she did.

"Oh, I know you!" He gasps. "You're this wonderful creature's tamer, aren't you?"

Asaka nods in response and the man claps. He jumps off his seat and walks toward her. Instantly, he takes her hands into his.

"Your performance was outstanding! The way you could handle- Silvy, was it? It was so amazing!"

"Really? I mean, it was nothing…"

"No, no! Don't say that. I could see how you two share such a strong bond. Silvy would only listen to the best of the best, isn't that right?" He looks to Silver, and the beast lets out a yawn. "See? He agrees. Honestly, your act was the best one, but I have to admit the others were pretty neat too. Yours is probably my favorite, though."

Asaka feels heat rise to her cheeks. The man's words had such a strange effect on her. They sounded so genuine and real and- when had anyone ever complimented her AND Silver?

"Thank you very much for the kind words…"

"I hope that the next time I catch your performance, it'll be just as amazing."

"It'll be better!" She blurts out and squeezes his hands. "The next time we return, I'll make sure that our new act manages to beat the last."

"I'm going to be looking forward to it." He then pouts. "Today is your last day here, huh? I thought I could catch another show before the circus left town."

"But we'll be back. I'm not sure when, but the ringmaster makes it a routine to visit cities. When we come back…you'll be here to watch, right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

~…~

It was a special memory, one that she would never forget. The moment after was also one she'd never be able to get out of her mind. Apparently, he had gotten lost at the circus while looking for his friend and wound up in her tent on accident. It was a little hard to believe, but after volunteering to help find his friend, she could see how it happened. He had a really cute side to him.

She returns her gaze to the empty seats. Unlike before, now she only imagines a single person aside from herself in the tent.

Ren. That man who had stolen her heart deserved to be in the front row to see her latest performance. She could imagine his red eyes on her and only her. It made her feel a little nervous. She didn't want to disappoint him. She wanted to live up to the promise she made.

And tomorrow night, she would.


End file.
